1. Field of The Invention
The present invention relates generally to gloves and, more specifically, to gloves designed to protect the human hand from damaging effects of severely cold air, while enabling the wearer to perform detailed precision tasks requiring high tactility in the distal portion of the fingers.
2. Description of Related Art
The need to modify gloves in order to accomplish a specialized work or recreational purpose is known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,096,523, issued to George R. Bruchas on Jul. 9, 1963, describes a glove with patches of improved gripping material on the fingertips for grasping a football. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 2,736,034, issued to Eva Redick Fredenhagen et al. on Feb. 28, 1956, describes a glove with weights added to the fingertips for exercising and improving the finger strength of typists and piano players. Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 4,774,727, issued to Grant W. Jackson on Oct. 4, 1988, describes an apple picking glove with foam rubber padded fingertips to prevent the bruising of fruit picked by the wearer of the glove. Another patent showing a modified glove is European Patent Number 196,637, published on Oct. 8, 1986, which shows a work glove modified to shield the fingertips from the crushing effects of heavy machinery.
The need to modify gloves in an effort to reconcile the competing needs of work related requirements and ambient temperature conditions has long been known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 133,319, issued to Timothy Kehoe on Nov. 26, 1872, describes a heavily vented work glove with padded fingertips to protect, yet cool, the hands of bricklayers working in hot weather. Thus, there is a need for a modified glove to reconcile the competing needs of work related requirements and ambient temperature conditions.
The need to protect the human hand with a glove under certain ambient conditions such as cold air has long been well known. U.S. Pat. No. 1,358,823, issued to Everett Burden on Nov. 16, 1920, addresses this problem by providing for a horse riding glove having reversible reinforced fingertips. Thus, there is a need for a glove capable of protecting a human hand from the potentially harmful effects of extended exposure to cold air during work or recreational activity.
However, the ability to perform necessary work or recreational tasks outdoors with the hands is often impeded by a glove worn to protect a hand from cold temperatures. Warm, but bulky fingertips in gloves tend to impede the performance of work tasks demanding high tactility for a detailed precision task. For example, it is difficult for outdoor goods and services providers to make change for their cash paying customers when the goods or services provider is wearing protective gloves due to cold weather. This problem is described in U.S. Pat. No. 474,929, issued to Levi L. Tabor et al. on May 17, 1892, for a mitten with a removable thumb and forefinger. This problem is also approached in British Patent Number 2,284,341, published on Jun. 7, 1995, which describes a glove having small circular elastic openings in the fingertips whereby the fingertip of the glove can be pulled back over the finger, thus exposing the finger for precision work. The gloves taught in both of these patents require the distal portion of the bare finger to be exposed to the elements when precision work is being performed.
A simpler approach with the same resulting problem involves manually exposing the fingertips of a human hand for improved tactility by cutting off and disposing of the fingertips in an otherwise standard pair of work gloves. In addition to destroying the glove structure, this simpler approach also leaves human fingertips vulnerable to frostbite through exposure to extremely cold temperatures. Thus, there is a need for an outdoor work glove with improved tactile fingertips that does not require exposure of the bare fingertips.
The same need exists for many recreational applications. Both sailing and weightlifting gloves known in the marketplace have the fingertips cut off and removed by design, thus exposing the distal portion of the wearers fingers for an improved sense of touch. Sailing and weightlifting gloves are designed to protect the wearer from the harmful effects of severe friction, primarily on the wearer's palms; however, sailing, competitive sailing in particular, sometimes takes place under cold, wet conditions where the effects of temperature exposure are also potentially harmful to the human hand.
A century ago this need may have been felt most often vocationally by a trolley car conductor. Today, this need may be felt most often vocationally by a telephone or heat pump service worker or any other person who must work outside in the cold with nuts, bolts, rolls of tape, sheets of metal, small wires such as electrical wires, screws, nails, or anything else requiring a sensitive, detailed, or precise level of touch. The need for a glove with improved tactility in the fingertips is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,507,807, issued to Kip M. Karkanen on Apr. 2, 1985 for a work glove having fingertips of a stretchable material for improved sensitivity. Thus, there is a need for a glove enabling the wearer of the glove to perform tasks that require high tactile abilities.
This need also exists in the context of many recreational activities. For example, in addition to the sailors previously mentioned, marching band members who handle metal instruments also have a need for a glove which protects the human hand from the harmful effects of cold weather, yet enable the wearer's fingers to perform detailed precision tasks.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.